Endangered Rationalism

Architect Savin Sever has become one of the most tragic figures of post-war Slovene architecture. The lack of respect for and awareness of the significance and quality of recent architectural history in the country can be seen from his example.

Architect Sever witnessed the demolition of three of his buildings as well as the devastation of several others. Nevertheless, although rueful, he pointed out that a city is a living organism and that buildings are always being built and being demolished. However, this is hardly a consolation when the new building does not reach the quality of that being demolished. Sever explained the overall attitude towards architecture of the postwar period by the general conditions in a society that forgets permanent values and subordinates everything to the logic of instant modernity, and above all to the logic of capital.